Knock knock knock.

  Kaz rapped his knuckles against the old mill's door, anticipation humming within him.

  Seconds passed...but no answer.

  Confused, Kaz knocked again, but harder this time.

  "Yo! Anyone in there?" he called out, an edge of impatience slipping into his voice. "Elara? Open up!"

  Again, no response.

  With a frustrated exhale, Kaz tried the door handle...

  Only to find it unlocked.

  Kaz frowned as the door swung open easily.

  "Unlocked," he muttered, peering through the opening.

  The old mill seemed dark and silent inside.

  Slowly, Kaz stepped inside, glancing around the place.

  "Hello?" he called out again. "Anyone home?”

  Kaz stepped further into the mill, eyes scanning the dim interior.

  "Elara? IOTA squad? You guys hiding or what—?"

  His voice echoed through the empty space. No footprints in the dust. No warmth in the air. Not even a flicker of residual magic.

  Then something caught his eye.

  A glint on the wooden table in the center of the room.

  He moved toward it cautiously… and found it:

  A single feather, pure white with silver edges still faintly glowing.

  Kaz picked it up, frowning as warmth pulsed against his fingertips.

  "...Virtue energy?" he whispered, eyes narrowing. "No way they’re already—"

  …A sound behind him.

  Not footsteps.

  Breathing.

  Kaz spun around fast—but there was no one there... only shadows stretching long across cracked floorboards...

  A voice from both nowhere and everywhere:

  "You're too late."

  Cold swept through him—not from fear… but recognition.

  That voice.

  It couldn't be.

  But then… light bloomed softly at one end of the mill, revealing a figure stepping forward, one hand raised like a conductor calling forth dawn itself...

  Temperance stood there, the Virtue herself, her gaze firm and unyielding as sunlight breaking through storm clouds

  "You thought you could orchestrate this unseen," she said calmly, yet with thunder beneath her words…

  "But we have already begun."

  Behind her, the silhouettes of Charity blazing gold-hot… Patience rooted to earth like living oak…

  The game had changed before he could even make his first move.

  And Kaz?

  For once…was speechless.

  Kaz's grip tightened on the feather, his heart slamming against his chest. This couldn't be happening.

  But there she was—all of them—the Virtues, standing before him like living gods. And he was alone.

  Swallowing, he found his voice, forced his eyes to meet Temperance's unwavering gaze.

  "How did you—" he started, his usual suaveness faltering. "How the hell are you already here?”

  Temperance didn't waver, the air around her charged with righteous fire.

  "We're always one step ahead of the shadows," she replied, the wind outside whispering in agreement. "You thought you could manipulate us as easily as you manipulated your pawns…"

  Kaz clenched his jaw, trying to regain his composure.

  "This is an unexpected wrinkle," he admitted grudgingly, gaze flitting between the Virtues. He then scoffed, crossing his arms with a nonchalant smirk. "No matter, I can handle just three Virtues all by myself.”

  Temperance raised an eyebrow, unamused.

  "Confidence won't save you, Kaz," she warned. "We are not some powerless entities you can toy with."

  "Yeah?" Kaz retorted, his eyes flickering with defiance. "You say that, but you're just as prone to manipulation as anyone else."

  Charity stepped forward, her golden light flaring.

  "Bold words for someone who planned to unleash chaos and destruction just to lure us out," she quipped, voice like burning sunlight.

  Kaz smirked, his confidence returning in full force.

  "Chaos is just a tool," he said smoothly, shifting his stance slightly. "And destruction? A necessary sacrifice for greater balance."

  His orange eyes flickered with cunning as he glanced between the Virtues.

  "Tell me, Charity: how many lives have you burned through in the name of 'righteousness'?”

  Charity flinched, a rare flash of vulnerability in her gaze.

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  "That's different," she retorted, the gold around her flaring brighter. "Those souls volunteered—"

  Kaz laughed lowly, cutting her off.

  "Oh, of course—" he drawled, each word dripping with sarcasm. "Your victims were all 'willing' participants in your grand celestial war.”

  Charity opened her mouth, then closed it, her jaw tight with anger.

  But before she could respond, Patience stepped forward—her voice steady and cool as marble.

  "Enough," she said.

  It was a simple word, but the air around them vibrated with the force of a commandment.

  A heavy silence followed, the Virtues and Kaz locked in a silent showdown.

  Kaz shifted his weight, smirk still clinging to his lips, but a bead of sweat traced down the side of his neck.

  "Ooooh," he mocked quietly. "The quiet one finally speaks."

  Patience didn't flinch nor blink.

  "Three," she said simply.

  Kaz blinked. "...Huh?"

  "Three lies you've told in under ten seconds," Patience continued, stepping forward slowly now with one hand outstretched toward the air itself. Ripples formed around her fingers, like truth peeling back illusion.

  "First: That you can handle us alone."

  She tilted her head slightly.

  "Second: That destruction serves balance."

  Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

  "And third? That we don’t already know about your little device."

  Kaz’s blood ran cold, and for the first time since walking into that mill…his smirk froze on his face.

  A beat passed, and Kaz tried to play this off.

  "Ah, yes—" he said smoothly, forcing a laugh that sounded almost casual. "My 'little device'. Smart as always, Patience."

  The corner of his mouth twitched, sweat now beading on his forehead.

  "But...how would you possibly know about that?”

  The Virtues didn't waver, their gaze fixed on Kaz like a hawk.

  "Did you truly think," Temperance said slowly, her words like daggers, "that you could hide your intentions from us?"

  Kaz scoffed, trying to keep his cool.

  "Oh, because your cosmic powers told you about it?" he mocked with a forced smirk. "Or did you just...sense my evil from across the realms?”

  Temperance’s expression didn’t change.

  Instead, she raised her hand, palm open.

  And from the air itself, a ripple formed… then split… and spun into light.

  A shimmering projection appeared above her palm:

  - A flickering image of Kaz in the dim room with the Fortune Teller.

  - The violet-pulsing device in his hand.

  - His own voice, echoing softly: “Detonate at the heart of the Void Temple…”

  Kaz’s eyes widened slightly.

  “That,” Temperance said calmly, “wasn’t us sensing you.”

  She lowered her hand, the image vanishing.

  “It was her.”

  Kaz clenched his hands, jaw tight as Temperance’s words sank in.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

  He was in control. He had every angle covered.

  But the Virtues…they were too damn perceptive.

  He was supposed to be the one with the upper hand. Not the other way around.

  With a low curse, he looked back up at the Virtues… and his face twisted with pure fury.

  "I'll wipe all three of you out on the spot.”

  For the first time, all three Virtues looked surprised, their gaze hardened in an instant.

  Temperance took a step forward, eyes flashing. "Try it," she warned, her own fury matching his.

  Kaz tensed, eyes darting between them. Calculating, planning.

  Patience took a step closer as well, hands clenched at her sides.

  "Big words for a boy playing with matches," Charity shot back almost tauntingly, her golden light flaring in response to Kaz’s anger.

  "Come at me, you glorified birds," he retorted, sparks crackling around him in response to the challenge.

  The Virtues held their ground, their gazes unflinching.

  "We're no ‘birds’," Temperance said sternly. "We are Archangels. We are the Guardians of Balance."

  "We've faced threats far worse than you," Patience added, her voice like ice.

  "And each time," Charity finished, an edge to her voice, "we've come out victorious."

  "Aha, like that time you got sealed by mere humans back during Black Mensa?" Kaz shot back with a mocking grin.

  All three Virtues bristled at the mention of that disaster.

  "You think you could do any better?!" Charity shot back, golden light flaring around her. "We were outnumbered. Outpowered. It was a bloodbath."

  "And yet we still won," Patience added firmly. "We escaped. We rebuilt. We grew stronger."

  Kaz shrugged, trying to seem unaffected by their anger.

  "Yeah, yeah, real touching," he drawled. "Y'all are just salty that ya got whooped by the 'lowly' demon race back then and wanna take it out on a mere human like me.”

  Charity's eyes blazed.

  "You are nothing like us," she snapped. "You're just a child, playing with fire you can't even begin to understand."

  Kaz rolled his eyes, unfazed. "Please—fire? I’m the one who taught you how to light it."

  He raised a hand, dark energy swirling at his fingertips.

  "And if you won't back down... then let’s see whose flame burns brighter.”

  The Virtues tensed, preparing for a fight.

  "Enough games, Kaz," Temperance said firmly. "You wanted our attention, you have it. Now it's time to face the consequences of your actions."

  Kaz grinned.

  "Consequences?" he repeated, dark energy flickering around him. "You think you're gonna school me?"

  "You bet your ass we are," Charity replied, golden light flaring even hotter now.

  Kaz sneered, orange eyes flashing.

  "Bring it on then, oh great Virtues," he drawled, dark energy pooling in his hands before he launched himself at Charity.

  The Virtues reacted instantly.

  As Kaz lunged at Charity, Temperance leaped forward to intercept him, her hand sparking.

  Meanwhile, Patience stayed in place, but her entire body seemed to vibrate with concentration.

  Dark energy clashed with gold as Temperance and Kaz clashed, their powers flaring in a fierce display.

  The air around them flickered, as if reality itself was struggling to contain their forces.

  Kaz was strong, but Temperance was stronger.

  She blocked his attack easily, sending a shockwave through the mill that shook the very foundations of the building.

  Kaz landed blow after blow, the shockwaves echoing through the air. Where Kaz was arrogant, he didn't have true discipline.

  Temperance did.

  Elara and the IOTA members watched the conflict from their hiding place, with Iritscen commenting: "Heh, he's doing nothing to that angel yet his aura's off the charts...what gives?"

  Liana replied while watching the battle with amazement: "It's because Temperance has the Heavenly Virtue of...well, Temperance, nya,"

  "Come again?"

  "That means, nya, that anyone who battles Temperance with greedy intentions won't do any damage to her. Every Heavenly Virtue has a similar ability tied to the Virtue they represent.”

  Kaz gritted his teeth, frustration mounting. Why couldn't he land a proper hit?!

  His blows were powerful—they should've crumbled Temperance to dust. But no, she just stood there, stolid and immovable like a mountain. Unrelenting. It was infuriating. So it was time for him to let loose. His aura intensity doubled...then quadrupled...and continued to multiply to a mind-boggling degree, threatening to destroy the mill entirely.

  "Damn you!" Kaz roared, dark energy crackling around him intensely.

  Temperance stood her ground, her own aura flaring to match his.

  "You can't win, Kaz," she said firmly, voice calm despite the power she was wielding. "This isn't about brute force. It's about willpower. And right now, you're sorely lacking."

  Kaz growled, his frustration getting the better of him. "Shut up!"

  He launched another attack, pouring even more dark energy into it.

  But it still did nothing.

  Temperance countered his attack, each impact creating another shockwave.

  "You're wasting your time!" she said sternly. "Your dark magic won't work on me. I am the embodiment of Temperance, the Heavenly Virtue. My powers counter yours."

  Kaz bristled, rage flaring brightly in his eyes.

  "Shut up! Just shut up!" he roared, dark energy spiraling wildly around him. "I've got more power than you could comprehend! You're just an antiquated angel stuck in the past, all three of you!"

  "You mean...all seven of us?" called out a voice from behind. Kaz was so caught up in overpowering Temperance that he wasn't aware of his spike in power alerting the other four Heavenly Virtues, who appeared on the scene, completely surrounding him.

  Kaz froze mid-attack, his breath catching.

  Slowly...he turned.

  There they stood, one by one, stepping from light and shadow:

  - Kindness, eyes soft yet unyielding.

  - Humility, her presence quiet and healing but immense, like deep water beneath ice.

  - Chastity, glowing with a pale, pure light that made the air hum.

  - And finally… Diligence, her gaze piercing, her mere stillness commanding silence.

  Surrounded.

  All seven Virtues now formed a perfect circle around him, their combined auras pressing down like gravity itself had turned against him.

  Kaz’s smirk wavered...then cracked.

  "...Seven?" he breathed, voice barely above a whisper. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

  Diligence stepped forward with one hand raised not in attack, but in judgment.

  "No more games," she said simply. "No more lies."

  Her voice echoed not just through the mill… but through time itself.

  "You are exposed.”